Transylvanian Dinner

Well what can I say about yesterday, I had downloaded the photo for this blog and was nicely settled to start writing.

I knew I had a limited time to get the blog written because I had an osteo appointment, but before that I needed to take a coat to Miss Fishes work , because it had started raining and she didn't have one.

So there I was starting to type when I get a phone call from Mr CLI, with a question " is his laptop that he needs at work so he can work at home". I lean forward and what is propped up against the lounge room wall. I ask you !

"Well when would you like it dropped off" I enquire, "any time you can" was the reply, with an added statement "but I can't work till I get it".

Ok I will be there shortly, as I am looking at the clock there now was no time to blog, then be a delivery girl twice over then get to the osteo. Ok I thought I would blog when I got home.

Home I came at about lunch time. I had some lunch settled to watch a DVD while blogging only to fall asleep and not wake up till late afternoon !

This is the common thing at the moment as I am not sleeping properly still pain in my shoulder. I am finding that I am having Nana naps in the afternoon.

So now finally onto my Transylvannian dinner.

I have recently started to receice e-mails from Saveur magazine and one of them was entitled - A Transylvanian Dinner.

http://www.saveur.com/

Curious I selected the link to the recipes and was quite surprised there was no goblets of blood or large teeth only recipes with very long names that I wasn't even going to try to pronounce.

Now the dish that I made was the chicken one it was served with polents, ah ha I thought I have polenta in the cupboard what a perfect recipe to use it.

So into the depths of the pantry I went, only to not find the polenta ! Strange as I said the other day there are many mysteries in the kitchen and the whereabouts of my polenta being one of them.

What I used instead was buttered noodles as I would have with Beef Stroganoff.

Csirkepaprikas (Chicken with Paprika)
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces or 4 chicken breasts, 3 tbsps olive oil, 1/2 cup plain flour, salt & pepper, 4 cloves garlic peeled and grated, 2 red capsicums deseeded and finely chopped, 2 celery sticks finely chopped, 1 large carrot peeled and finely chopped, 1 medium onion finely chopped, 1 red chili finely chopped OR 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes, 2 tbsps tomato paste, 2 tsps sweet paprika, 1 tsps ground cumin, 3 cups chicken stock, 3 tbsps finely chopped fresh parsley

In a large frypan or deep saucepan, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dust with the flour. Cook turning once till browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add garlic, capsicum, onion, carrot, celery and chili, saute stirring until beginning to soften. You made need more oil.

Shift the vegetables to the edges put the tomato paste in the centre cook stirring for about 1 minute, then stir into the vegetables.












Add the paprika & cumin and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add the stock stir, then return the chicken and any juices on the plate. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce to a simmer. Simmer till the chicken is cooked through 20 minutes for breasts or 40 minutes for pieces.

When cooked remove the chicken to the serving plates. Now the recipe says to strain the sauce, but you could just use it as it is. What I did was to squash the pieces with a potato masher then pushed this through a sieve over the chicken to give you a thin smooth sauce.

Serve with polenta, buttered noodles or mashed potato.

I sliced the chicken then placed it onto the noodles, so we could eat it with a splade.

Polenta Recipe - Mamaliga Cu Smantana (Polenta with Sour Cream)

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Mamaliga-Cu-Smantana-Romanian-Polenta-with-Sour-Cream